DRIVEN: So, What's Aston Martin's DB11 AMR REALLY Like? The V12 Is Back...

Rather wonderful looking.

Yes indeed they did a fine job with this car. The AMR version (minus the stripes) is certainly one to put on your list. Lots of power but no gaping mouth.

Gorgeous

Honestly - while Astons are normally gorgeous cars - I have never been enamoured by its V-12 - which has never really had the Smooth almost turbine like power of other V-12s. Yes - it does have the power - it does not have the refinement for some reason.

Eventually they will need to replace it with a new one - hopefully engineered from scratch to be a v-12.

I have never been happy that Aston went to a V12 with the first Vanquish and that it has stayed in the lineup. It has been heavy, thirsty, made with cheap Ford parts, suffered from oil starvation and most of all had nothing to do with the heritage of the brand. I would rather see the Vantage with a new name (Vantage was the designation/suffix given to its top performing models in the past - V8 Vantage Coupe from the 1980's) and be given a twin turbo straight 6. The DB cars can have a twin turbo V8. You don't need a V12 to make big power these days. MacLaren gets similar power to the DBS engine with a 4.0L V8.

Were it not for Ford, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo would have died.

You goes no this is not the old 6.0 ford unit, it's a 5.2 twin turbo it's an all new unit. I believe it's the first time Aston have used a turbo charged unit. It's a detuned DBS Superleggera unit

Aston's V12 was a gimmick that Ford underwrote when it owned Aston, which unfortunately lingered long past its prime.

Along the same lines, Aston's V8 (in Vantage, etc.) was a Jaguar power-plant that was re-purposed for Aston.

The prior gen DB9 (I own one that I am keeping because it is pretty, I have the garage space, and it is so down on the depreciation curve that it is not worth trading in) was too heavy to really allow the peaky and oddly-torqued V12 (510HP and 450 LbFt) to sing. Its sluggish off the line (almost as if it had turbo lag) and then it explodes for a bit, then it loses breath in upper RPM's. It is not a great V12. The automatic transmission (only one offered) was a bad fit too.

I wonder how long the "parts-engineered" Aston Martins can soldier on. Sure there are Mercedes components now, instead of Ford/Jaguar, but there really isn't anything special about it. It is a handsome car, though, but it is awkward from the front 3/4 view because it is quite wide.

The buyers of the Aston Martins would be better served by a sporty, small Bentley.

If Bentley engineered a lighter, sportier (2+2 instead of 4-seater) car that slotted underneath the Continental in the low $200's, it would decimate Aston Martin sales.

Just get the Aston with the TT V8, but I'll pass on it all.

-mre30 I think there is more than enough room for a smaller Bentley. Aston only does 5400 cars a year or so. Ferrari only 8300. Both are very tiny portions of luxury vehicle sales worldwide. If Aston does the DBX and the Lagonda sedan, it could inch up to 10,000 vehicles a year.

If Bentley rolled out a sporty 2+2 it would decminate Aston Martin.

The Aston Martin SUV is based on their sports car platform, so I will be Audi A3 tiny - no one is going to care.

Bentley - a subsidiary of VW - simply sells too many cars - and VW pushes that instead of exclusivity. Aston is a true low volume exotic car company - and every car it can make - it can sell many times over so it would be in NO concern from a Bentley competitor.

And just like the Aston V-12 - the Bentley W-16 is a cobbled up engine based on the old Vw close angle V-6 - and frankly - is not something you would depend upon to be reliable.

The Bentley W12 TT is actually very reliable, in its segment.

Say what you want about VW's platform sharing approach, but the cars are soundly engineered and are generally quite durable.

Aston's abysmal quality makes any FCA vehicle look like a Lexus. Knock around the
trim pieces on an Aston interior and you will realize that there are sections of the center console (leather covered) that are made of plywood. [I know because I asked my service rep at my local Aston 'Centre' and he confirmed].

The car is hand built, there will always be flaws and quirks. 'Character' that's just how low volume hand built cars are. Am not saying it's acceptable, but if build quality is important buy nap.